Apparatus for destroying refuse.



No. 746,421. PATENTED DEC. 8, 1903.

G. WATSON.

APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING REFUSE. APPLIOATION rum) APR. 1. 1903.

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fi neds'eal WW WM TNE NORRIS PETERS co, PHOTOL|THD., WASHINGTON, u. c.

PATENTED DEC. 8, 1903.

G. WATSON. APPARATUS FOR DESTROYI NG REFUSE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 1. 1903.

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No.746,421. I I -PATENTED.DEG.8,.1903.'

' G. WATSON.

APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING REFUSE.

APPLICATION FILED APRpl. 1903.

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Sit w aw Q I THE NORHXS Perms co, PHOTO-LITHO.WAEMNGTON, o, c.

UNITED STATES I atentd December 8, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING REFUSE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 746,421, dated December8, 1903.

Application filed April 1,1903. Serial No. 150,516. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WATSON, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and a resident of Lord Street Works, Whitehall Road, Leeds, inthe county of York, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Destroying Refuse, of which the followingis a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation theapparatus employed in carrying out this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the same; and Fig. 3 is an end view, on an enlarged scale, of part ofthe apparatus, showing the means for operating the charging-doors of thefurnaces.

The destruction of refuse by incineration has become an accomplishedfact; but the apparatus required for the purpose still leaves much to bedesired in various ways; and it is the object of the present inventionto obviate certain difiiculties which have arisen and t simplify theapparatus.

Hitherto it has been general to discharge the refuse direct intofurnaces from the collecting-carts, and in order to do this it has beennecessary to provide an inclined roadway from the level of the ground tothe top of the furnace. This has necessitated a very large expenditurein construction, as the inclined roadway or ramp has in most cases to bebuilt up, and it must be of considerable length, so as to make theinclination as gradualas possible, for reasons that will be obvious. Thefact of the carts having to pass along the top of the furnaces alsonecessitated the building of the furnaces in a very substantial manner,thereby increasing the expense. Now according to my invention I seek todispense with the ramp, and as the carts will no longer be driven ontothe top of the furnaces I am enabled to reduce the expense of theconstruction of the furnaces. I

In carrying out my invention I may employ any kind of furnace which isprovided with a charging-hole at the top, my invention relating moreparticularly to the charging of the furnace and not to the furnaceitself.

A is a well or dumping-pit placed in close proximity to the furnaces andpreferably at the end of a series of furnaces and below the groundlevel, into which pit the refuse is dumped from the carts. This well orpit is of suitable dimensions and is built of brick, stone, orconcrete,with a slightly-inclined bottom either to one side or one end,so that moisture may'run off to a gutter or drain.

i B B represent the furnaces arranged in two series of three each backto back, and G G open-work frame D*, having a rigid charac-' ter andarranged to carry an arm F, which is pivoted thereto in any convenientmanner, and to the opposite end of this arm F is attached a mechanicalscoop E, such as is used in a steam-navvy for excavations. This arm Fisof such alength that the scoop E when lowered will practically scrapealong the bottom of the well or pit A. The carriage D has a beam H,which projects beyond the carriage, and to this beam is attached one endof a chain or rope J. This beam is provided with a pulley K for thechain or rope J, which after passing round a pulley L on the scoop E andover the pulley K is made fast to a winch M, carried by the frame D*.

The carriage D maybe driven by any suitable power, mechanical orelectrical, so that it may be moved along the elevated railway asdesired, the movement being directed by an attendant riding on thecarriage D.

When it is desired to charge a furnace, the

carriage D is run back and the chain J is low-.

ered, so that the scoop may enter the Well or pit A clear of the pile ofrefuse therein. The .carriage is then moved forward to bring the scoop Einto contact with the refuse, and the chain is wound up by the winch, bywhich means the scoop is caused to cut into the heap of refuse and takeupa load. By hauling on the chain J the scoop E is raised to such aheight as to clear the top of the furnaces, and the carriage is thenmoved forward, so as to bring the loaded scoop over one or other of thecharging-holes G. The refuse is then discharged into the furnace I beprovided with a suitable doorsuch, for

instance, as those shown in the specifications of Letters Patent of theUnited States of America granted to me, hearing date, respectively,December 23, 1902. No. 716,601, and November 4, 1902, No. 713,024. Thisdoor or cover may be opened and closed by bevel or other gearing N,belts O, and fast and loose pulleys P,driven from a suitably-drivenshaft. This gearing is set in motion in either direction to open orclose the door or cover by the attendant connecting one of the forkedlevers Q with a pin R on the rocking lever S, belonging to the furnaceto be charged. Thus the operation of charging a number of furnaces maybe performed by one man. Any other kind of door or cover may be employedand be operated by any other convenient means or power, mechanical orelectrical.

When the scoop is discharged, the carriage will be run back and thescoop again lowered into the pit A in order to take up another load ofrefuse, the door of the scoop closing and automatically locking itself.

It will of course be understood that the scoop may turn over, so as todischarge its load into the furnace; but I prefer to use the movablebottom.

The winch will be operated by the same power that drives the carriage,any Wellknown mechanism being employed for that purpose.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus for destroying refuse, the combination of a furnacehaving a charginghole at the top provided with a movable cover, a refusepit or well in close proximity to the furnace and below theground-level, an overhead railway, extending over both the furmace andthe pit, a traveling carriage on the railway arranged to travel in twodirections,

means carried by the carriage for picking up and discharging a load ofrefuse, means for raising said mechanism to the charging position, alsocarried by the carriage, means for driving the said carriage and meansfor removing the cover of the charging-hole, the said means beingoperated by an attendant on the carriage, all as herein shown anddescribed.

2. The combination with a furnace for destroying refuse, of adumping-pit below the

